


One Last time, For Old Times Sake.

by Sarahc9162



Category: The Good Place (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:28:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27143836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarahc9162/pseuds/Sarahc9162
Summary: The gang has made it to the judges chambers and has convinced Gen to allow them one last chance. With a one year count down can the four humans figure out how to teach ethics and morality without giving themselves away? Will Michael, an ex-demon be allowed to be part of this experiment, or have to find work elsewhere and what happens when the bad place starts to intervene. An idea I've thinking about lately. Note - definitely hellstrop but with respect to Chidi & Eleanor's past.
Relationships: Chidi Anagonye/Eleanor Shellstrop, Janet (The Good Place) & Jianyu Li | Jason Mendoza, Michael (The Good Place) & Eleanor Shellstrop, Michael (The Good Place)/Eleanor Shellstrop
Comments: 13
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

“So, what happens now?” Eleanor inquires. After making it to the judge’s chambers they can finally breathe. They can take the time to question what’s next. They had been to hell and back, literally, over these last few years and have been running for so long. Perhaps now that they made it here they could stop running. Would they be able to convince Gen that the system was flawed; that humans could really change if given the chance; that they were worth giving a fork about?

“Well, like I said, if you can prove that the four of you weren’t some fluke, I’d be willing to consider an alternative arrangement to the bad place,” Gen states. “But that means accepting a new set of rules in a new situation. Three new humans, a whole new year, replicate the results and we’ll talk.”

It seemed simple enough in theory. Especially because this time around they already knew what they were up against. They had Chidi as their teacher, Michael as their leader, Eleanor as their fighter, and Janet their secret weapon. The four of them were as solid as ever. And on top of that there was Jason for their comic relief, and Tahani as the social glue that kept them together. If there was one thing Michael did right, it was hand picking them out of the crowd. 

“Let me get this straight, if we can show these new humans progress and are able to improve, you’ll send us to the good place?” Chidi asks, not quite believing it could be that easy. They had already shown they were able to do it hundreds of times in Michael’s reboots. What would prevent them from doing it again? Especially because this time they knew better. They could guide these new humans, all the while knowing if they could learn- they would grow. 

“I haven’t agreed to the good place, specifically,” Gen reasons, “But I will guarantee that if you can do this, ya’ll humans will not be sent to the bad place.” 

It seemed like the best offer they were going to get. What could be worse than the bad place? Tahani let out a sigh of relief as she laid against Jason on the sofa. It was easier letting Eleanor and Chidi take the lead. They were always better at confrontation. 

At the word ‘humans’, Janet and Michael exchange a quick indiscernible glance. It seems not everyone picked up on the wording the judge slid in there. But Michael knew. He wondered how he was going to break it to the four humans he had grown so fond of. Of course, there’d be no room for Michael, a demon, in any place but the bad place. 

“To make things fair, since you’ll be losing Michael, you can choose amongst yourselves which of you will join the other three humans. I suggest sweet cheeks over there,” Gen says winking at Chidi suggestively, “But it’s your call.”

“Wait!” Eleanor blurts, taken back, “What do you mean, losing Michael?” 

Michael is touched when he sees her aura shift from grey to red, obviously disturbed by the information. Oh, sweet trash bag Eleanor, didn’t she realize he never had another destination besides retirement? All of this had been for her, for them. Perhaps letting her think he would glide into the good place on a hot air balloon with them was his worst lie of all. But he was worried their friendship, their compassion for him would prevent his human’s from fighting for this; for a chance at real redemption. 

“There’s no room for demon boy here in the good place, or any simulation of it,” Gen says, “no offense Mikey.”

“None taken.” Michael nods, full well expecting this. He clasps his hands behind his back, absorbing this information as if he expected it all along. But Eleanor doesn’t seem to follow. 

“So, what does he get then, medium place? New assignment? What’re we looking at here?” Eleanor questions, not understanding why Michael is so calm about this. 

Michael offers her a sad smile, and looks down at his shoes, while shuffling his feet. What is she missing? The plan was always for the six of them to get to the good place together. No man, not a girl, or honorary human left behind. With a furrow of her brow she opens her mouth to speak when she feels an elbow nudging her. 

She looks over at the hand sticking out to her offering her one of the seven margaritas on her tray. Janet nods pushing them towards her, obviously aware of something she’s not. 

“Trust me, Take it,” the not girl offers her friend with a nod. She passes out the remaining drinks, and sits down next to Jason. For the first time, Eleanor isn’t even tempted by her favorite drink. 

“Michael,” she warns, “What are we looking at here?” When his eyes refuse to meet hers, too occupied with the Margarita in his hand, she feels her blood run cold. There’s something her best friend isn’t telling her, or hasn’t told her. 

“Retirement”, Gen explains easily, chugging her drink. Before Michael even looks up Eleanor has smashed her glass and is half way across the room, charging the judge. Just before her fists connect, she feels two strong arms, dragging her back. 

“Woah there,” Chidi warns, “She’s literally our ticket to heaven or hell,” Her eyes flash a haunted coal black, pupils blown wide. Michael looks up to see the deep crimson and black smothering her aura. 

“I don’t forking think so!” she screams at the judge. Chidi calmly strokes her arms, leading her over to Tahani who takes her into her arms. "I've got this," he offers her before turning back to the judge. 

“What Eleanor means,” Chidi reasons, “Is there has to be some alternative, Michael may be a demon but he’s grown and changed, I’ve seen it. He doesn’t deserve retirement and he definitely doesn’t belong in the bad place. Isn’t there some other solution we can come to here?” 

Oh Chidi, always the diplomatic one. Eleanor feels her heart hammering inside her chest. This isn’t right. They couldn’t have gone through everything just to end up this way. They belong together. 

“I see what you mean,” Gen offers walking off in silence. She’s humming some tune to herself as she begins pacing. “It’s unorthodox Michael. It’s nothing personal, it’s just you don’t seem to belong in either place-“

“He belongs with US!” Eleanor remarks, feeling her rage almost boil over as the judge ignores her. 

“Perhaps, there could be a new path for you. One that doesn’t require retirement. You’re one of the only species to truly transition from one place to the other, from bad to good, from demon squid to silver fox guy… Did you ever think about becoming a judge?”

Michael seems taken back by this, sliding his glasses up on his nose, and placing down his drink. “well, no I never really thought of it.”

“It’s not a bad gig, and these humans could eventually visit you if they wind up making it to the good place. That is, after you’ve finished your training and earn your own chambers.”

A collective sigh of relief could be felt and heard throughout the group. Janet whispers to Jason, explaining what was happening and Tahani hugged Eleanor. This could work, couldn’t it? Michael could be alive, he could take on a new path. And he could achieve true balance between his good and evil selves. A judge. It seemed to fit better and better the more they thought about it. After looking over at Eleanor to see her hopeful but not yet convinced face, he knew his answer.

“I’d be honored,” Michael said, donning that classic schoolboy smirk of elation. Cheers erupted, as the humans and Janet surrounded him with a hug. They could do this. Michael would be safe. 

“What about Janet?” Jason asks, “my not a girl is pureee good, like jalapeño poppers on" he starts, and then seems to forget his thought before finishing "…. any day!”

Janet smiles at his odd compliment- knowing it’s the highest one that could come from Jason. Then she stands and grips at her thumb. 

“Fun fact!”, she begins in her normal chipper tone, “I’m actually stolen property of the good place, and as such will most likely be returned there once this meeting is adjourned.” 

Gen nods, “True, Janet belongs to the good place, and will be sent there eventually. However, I see no reason she can’t be the Janet that helps with your neighborhood. It will be easier to not have to reboot a new Janet thousands of times, to have her catch up to this level of understanding.” She says, motioning up and down towards Janet’s form. 

They all smile, seemingly content with that information. Of course, they want their Janet, and knowing she will follow them to the good place (if they get in), was exactly what they had wanted. Jason seems to understand and leans in to kiss her. 

“All right, so you’ll have the same layout of the neighborhood. This Janet will be there to help create and run things with you. You’ll have three new humans, one of you with a wiped memory, and a year to turn things around. You need to determine who will be your architect and who will have their mind wiped.” 

Although there was some interest in asking Tahani due to her event planning and organizational skills, the vote was overwhelmingly for Eleanor to be the new architect. She had, short of Janet, spent the most time with Michael. She had the most memories restored. She knew how he made his designs, how he pulled the strings to get them together, or pull them apart, and how to act better than any of them. Plus the incentive of knowing she’d have Michael’s powers for an entire year, though only accessible through Janet, was the icing on the cake. 

Now it was only a matter of who would have their mind wiped. It made the most sense for it to be Jason, because well, he was Jason. But they needed someone in there that would be able to bring the humans together. Jason would ultimately expose the operation; Tahani would most likely cause the humans to feel inferior and Eleanor was already deigned the new architect. That left Chidi Anagonye, their moral compass. 

Although Eleanor and Chidi hadn’t gotten back together since their last reboot, there was a true unspoken love between them. He knew that letting him go was going to break her heart. In hundreds and hundreds of reboots they had always found their way back to each other. It is with this fact that he assures her, he will again. They are engraved in each other’s psyche in a way not even Michael could ever figure out. While they were total opposites, it was their love, and their friendship that made one another better. 

“I know you’ll take care of me,” Chidi offers as he wipes her tears away. “Just think of it as a much-needed vacation from my crippling indecision,” he jokes.

She smirks, through her tears, and pulls him in close. In the background, Tahani is talking to the judge about her choice of robe, while Jason and Janet delight in the fact they’ll remain together. Michael is sipping the salty margarita watching with envy at the display before him. But he’d also learned to love Chidi, especially after this last reboot. His ethics classes were what first made him realize he could ‘choose’ a different path. But Eleanor was the reason he decided too. 

If only demons were lucky enough to have soul mates like angels were. Humans had them he was pretty sure although no one had ever confirmed it. But demons definitely didn’t deserve something so sacred. After everyone went around and said their goodbyes, Chidi was the first to go. His mind was wiped, and he would be held safely in Janet’s void until it was time to wake him up. Gen said goodbye, informing Michael to meet her in her chambers for a binge watching of Baywatch before his training started. 

Tahani was the first to approach Michael, “Oh darling, I’m so glad you have a new position! But as soon as you receive your own chamber, I’m coming to decorate it. I will not have my friend in a dark and wooden dungeon such as this! It’s so unbecoming of someone so noble!” she remarks, smiling. “I’ll visit as soon as we’re allowed!” she promises before hugging him and stepping back. 

“Dawg, if I get in trouble now, I have a get out of the bad place free card! Like monopoly, or in the mob!” he says, smiling and hugging Michael. As Michael opens his mouth to protest, Janet just shakes her head at him, letting him know she’ll clear that up. So instead he just hugs him back. “Take it sleezy,” Michael tells him.

Tahani reaches her hand out to Jason, and pulls him next to her- closer to the vortex that will take them to their new ‘good place’, to the place they will call home for the next year. Janet nods as the two walk through the vortex, she heads over to see Michael.

“It’s going to be weird not being able to hear you think, or hear you bing there every time I need you,” Michael confesses. They had been so inseparable for so long. Janet had helped him design every aspect of his neighborhood, stood by him when she realized he betrayed her, he stood by her as she gained the ability to feel betrayed. “What am I going to do without you?” he asks.

Janet steps up to him, her arms grasping his upper arms firmly, clad in her classic purple. 

“Fun fact, you won’t need me for this part of the journey Michael. And you will do everything without me that you did with me, unless it involves me.” She clarifies, still having that beautiful twinge of not a girl in her responses. Michael smiles at his oldest friend, before he asks one last request,

“take care of her?” he whispers, almost in a desperate tone. Janet simply nods the affirmative, grips his upper arm one more time with a smile, and turns to enter the vortex. 

“See you on the other side hot stuff,” Eleanor remarks as Janet disappears. As soon as she passes through the air becomes thick with tension. There seems to be so much and not nearly enough to say. But before he can start, she does,

“You lied to me. Again.” She claims, in an apathetic tone. It seemed to be a game she was getting tired of playing. “Why?” she asks. Although he suspects she already knows the answer. 

“I didn’t want anything to jeopardize you getting into the good place, especially not me.” 

She doesn’t look at him for a while, her hands on her hips while all five foot four of her paces across the room in front of him. He can see her aura is turning a certain shade of orange, she’s pondering something, something big by the shade of it. 

“I want my memories back,” she says when she finally stops pacing, her back to him. This was a request they all had made at some point. And he had done his best to restore what he felt was absolutely necessary, or what each of them would care the most about. But over 800 lifetimes was a lot to piece back together. The only one of them that was rebooted that many times and had every single memory besides him, was Janet.

So he decides to be as honest as he can be, “I’ve already restored your-“

“No,” she begins as she turns around to face him, “I want ALL of my memories back.”

She staring him down and he’s almost positive that he’s blushing from the mere intensity of her gaze. He had given her back more memories than any human, by a land slide. Jason had only wanted the ones back that had to do with him and Janet. Tahani only wanted the ones back where she was happy, Chidi only asked for the ones with Eleanor. 

But Eleanor was a different breed. She wanted all of them, she kept telling him in this reboot that she felt like a part of her was missing. And it seemed no matter which memories he gave her back or how many of them it never seemed to fill the void. He had told her there were no memories left to give. It wasn’t until a few moments ago, when she realized he lied to her about ever planning on going to the good place, that she figured it out. 

“How many secrets have you been keeping from me?” She accuses, pointing her finger at him like a mother disapproving of her child. When he doesn’t answer right away, she begins pacing again. “Michael, how could you do that? You know how much I’ve been struggling, how I’ve felt like I’m missing something, some memory or some person who is on the tip of my tongue. This whole time you knew there was more!”

She no longer sounds accusatory only disappointed. Michael sighs. If there was ever a time, he was going to give everything back, maybe it’s better it was now. When their time together was coming to an end, for a while at least. He still isn’t speaking, and she’s beginning to wonder what exactly is going through his mind. It’s then that she begins to notice it, the colors at first faint that eventually turn into a delicate translucent mist surrounding him. 

Little by little her eyes begin to adjust, as her mind inherits the powers, and extra senses Michael possesses. The timetable was starting. One year, on the clock.

As her eyes studied him, he could see her aura spiraling into a rainbow of emotions and he finally realized what was happening. But he couldn’t let her study him for long, there was too much there, too much too explain and not enough time. So instead, he offered her an answer. 

“There's only one,” he answers, though it wasn’t to any questions she asked.

“What?” she asks, clearly confused.

“There’s only one memory you’re missing, I didn’t give it to you because I didn’t think that it was important. But if it’s still bothering you of course you can have it. It’s yours,” he offers. Placing his open palm out in midair, offering to replace it for her. 

She hesitates briefly, before walking up and placing his hand on the side of her head. 

“Take care of yourself Eleanor, I know you’ll make me proud.” He says, offering her his goodbye now before she analyzes everything. His somber tone gives her pause, as she pulls his hand down and steps back.

“Is there any way I can have it back, but wait to see it? Like in harry potter?” He ironically knows exactly what she’s referencing having had many marathons with her on the sofa of her Icelandic clown house. He smiles and nods, producing a vile that looks identical to the one in the movie. She claps her hands ecstatically thrilled he remembered, before carefully grabbing it. 

“However, you don’t pour this into anything, simply drink it before bed. You’ll dream the memory, the one reboot you’re missing, and will remember it when you wake the next morning.”

She places it inside her hoodie, and climbs into his embrace. 

“Just for the cool vile, I forgive you,” she says, burying her face in his chest. “I’m gonna miss you demon buddy,” she whispers her throat hoarse with unshed tears. He feels his own constrict and pulls her close, letting his face rest upon her head, taking in the scent that is so uniquely Eleanor. She pulls away and turns her back, whipping the tears from her eyes. As she approaches the vortex, she turns back one last time to see his aura shining the most peculiar shade of Emerald. 

“What do you say, one last reboot for old times sake? Then it’s eternal good place, and eternal judges’ chambers!” he offers, trying to muster up as much cheer as he can. 

“See you in a year?” she checks, making sure this won’t be the last time.

“With a margarita in hand,” he promises.

And with that she smiles, and after making sure the vile is secure in her sweater she steps through the vortex.


	2. Chapter Two.

Chapter Two..  
Four Weeks Later…

Eleanor is pacing in her office. The new architect burning a footpath in front of her desk for four weeks now. An office and a desk plucked from its newfound obscurity; taken from their previous bad place and inserted here; thanks to Janet. Not an ugly toddler missing, or a paper clip out of place. 

The anxiety of making a mistake has been festering underneath her skin, like an itch she just can’t scratch. Sure, things had been going okay. But it felt like no matter what plan they implemented, it was one step forward and two steps back. 

Chidi began teaching ethics to the neuroscientist Simone, which was great. But he was only willing to do this after, discovering she was his soul mate. Watching Chidi rejoice over his new love was like a dagger in the heart. While she knew it wasn’t his fault, it didn’t make it sting any less watching their first hand hold, their first hug, their first kiss.

He claimed to have done this memory wipe, ‘for all of them’. But sometimes she couldn’t help feeling like he was dying to get away from her. It’s not like they had fallen in love in the last reboot like before. And while they were great friends, he didn’t seem to have the same interest in rekindling or remembering their love. Maybe like everyone else in her life, he just realized he needed to bail. 

Even though they persuaded Chidi to convince his soul mate she was actually dead, many other things were not going according to plan. 

Eleanor had used one of her old mentors’ tricks to guilt the other two humans into seeking rehabilitation. There was a rouge giraffe stampede; as well as a shower full of corn dogs (being gobbled up by half dog – half corn and the cobs). But it had little influence on their charges. The two who were becoming insufferable. It seemed nothing would help them make progress connecting with Chidi and Simone. 

The various group activities they had planned for the four of them, did little to help them interact. And the more that they did talk, the more distant the four of them became. Brent and John had little interest in getting to know Simone, and even less in getting to know Chidi. They would occasionally have drinks together, but that was as far as things were going. 

Plus, even with all of Chidi’s efforts Simone was only improving minimally. She had accepted she was dead, and that Chidi was her soulmate. But she wasn’t doing much to be accepting of anyone else.

While it was only four weeks in, Eleanor couldn’t help but feel lost. It was like the walls were caving in. How long did it take her, Chidi, Tahani and Jason to become close? It never seemed like tha)t long. And even though she was often annoyed with Tahani (because she made her feel inferior) there was never animosity between them as there was between John and Chidi or Brent and Simone. Something had to give, it was just a matter of what. Perhaps agreeing to become the architect was a mistake. One huge, forking mistake. 

“Janet!” Eleanor yells unnecessarily, feeling her frustration boil over. Her feet were beginning to feel hot against the rough carpet. 

“Hey there!” Janet bings in, Jason by her side. “I hope it’s okay I brought Jason. Brent was trying to ‘poke the monk’ again and I didn’t want him to lose it.”

“Of course, he was,” Eleanor rolls her eyes. The man was impossible. Gen honestly could not have picked a more opposite person than Chidi to balance out the experiment. 

“Yeah dawg, he’s like, really mean.” Jason shrugs, while Janet pats him arm and smiles apologetically. 

“I’ll make sure to mess up his next drink order,” she promises causing Jason to perk up. “So, what can I do for you Eleanor?” her friend asks resuming her typical thumb in fist stance.

“I need Michael,” She states arms on her hips, staring down her two friends. This wasn’t the first time they had this conversation.

“You know El, that’s not something I can do,” she offers sadly, though Eleanor is happy she’s finally learning to use nicknames. “But whatever it is, I’m confident between the two of us, we can solve it.”

“HEY!” Jason says, but Janet immediately produces a yo-yo, handing it to Jason and smirking as he runs off mind wiped, with childlike fascination. 

“No. It’s not something we can solve, it’s something only Michael can help with. Only he would know what to do…” she offers, trailing off mid thought.

“Well, I do know everything that there is to know,” she begins, but seeing the emotion trail across Eleanor’s face, continues “But I think I know what you mean.” She sighs and produces two margaritas and a sofa, offering it to Eleanor and motioning for them to sit down. 

There were many nights in the last four weeks that the two of them ended up like this. All of them were missing Michael, but none of them as much: as his oldest, and his best friend. They would often meet, or rather Eleanor would call for her, and they’d sit up most of the night talking about what he’d have done in whatever event happened that day. It often ended with them laughing. 

“I’m sure he’s doing fine, you know he loves a challenge and this really is perfect for him,” she says, watching Eleanor chug her drink a little quicker than usual. Janet knew that losing Chidi was going to be trying on Eleanor. But what she didn’t realize was how much harder it would be for her to lose Michael. Perhaps because it made no logical or analytical sense. Based on her calculations, Chidi was the love of her life, and Michael her best friend. One loss should be far more detrimental than the other.

“I just don’t know why the fork we can’t talk to him! Just to see how he is! I mean, we’re stuck here dealing with these benches trying to save all of humanity, and we’re not even allowed to check in on our friend?”

The venting was more rhetorical than anything. This was the same conversation they kept having. It seemed almost cruel that Gen was refusing any contact between them. They obviously couldn’t converse telepathically due to the different timelines. But why couldn’t they just visit? There was little Eleanor wouldn’t give for an hour of Michael’s advice.

Janet looks up when she hears Jason squeak in delight as he finally masters his “walk the dog” trick with the yoyo. It brings a fleeting smile to Eleanor’s face, until she turns and looks back down at her drink. Though it provides her with an idea.

“How about I call Tahani, and the four of us can have a sleep over tonight? We haven’t had one since we started this place, and I feel like we’ve earned it just by dealing with Brent.”

Eleanor laughs into her margarita, downing it in one gulp. Without Janet these past few weeks, she doesn’t know what she would do. Tahani had been so busy working to turn John into a better person, and Jason had been keeping dibs on Brent that they hadn’t had time together. She was lucky enough to have a weekly coffee / tea date with Chidi at the café, but he didn’t remember her at all. He simply thought ‘god’ had an interest in philosophy and being well, Chidi, he was too happy to oblige. 

“Holy shirt yes! That sounds perfect!” she says, “let’s get PS5 for Jason, a shrimp fountain for me, and we’ll let Tahani plan everything else, for well, Tahani. Any requests for you babe?” Eleanor checks, though Janet never really asked for anything for herself. 

“I’m getting used to these margaritas?” she says, refilling Eleanor’s now empty glass and taking a sip herself. 

“Then bottomless margaritas as well! And I’ll use my super freaky after life powers to do that one, so it can be a real gift for you, not from you.” 

Even after crafting waterfalls, shrimp dispensers, and frozen yogurt station after frozen yogurt station Eleanor still hadn’t gotten used to the fact that she had powers. Thanks to Janet’s help she didn’t have to create most things, but it was still a change knowing she could. 

She was just starting to get ahold of seeing auras versus physical appearances, but she wished she would have had some time with Michael before gaining his powers. There was so much about his abilities that he could have explained. 

Instead Janet had to try to figure out what was wrong and what was happening with Eleanor, before being able to explain it to her. Maybe if he had been there for her, she wouldn’t have struggled so much those first few days. 

Janet snapped away her drink and stands up swiping her hands down her dress, smoothing invisible wrinkles. 

“Well, Brent’s calling, come on Jason” she offers reluctantly. But before leaving adds as an afterthought, “Eleanor, I’m sure he wishes he could be here as much as we wish he was here,” and with that her and Jason were gone, leaving Eleanor alone with her thoughts. 

“Wow, that was spectacular!” Michael cheers placing his seven-iron back into his golf bag. “Is this always how Judges do business?”

Gen had suggested after the last six months of endless studying, training, practice trials, and test that they deserved a break. She knew he had been getting rather antsy especially after the first couple months. Every day he was inquiring about how his group of humans were doing. But Gen did her best to reassure him that time passed different in their dimension and that he hadn’t been gone but a month. 

While golfing was indeed how they always discussed things in the jurisprudence dimension, this was really more of a way to get him out of his shell. Perhaps she was starting to care about him, as more than a protégé, but now a friend. 

“Usually, that or a binge-watching marathon on Netflix where we try to get as much in during that ten seconds before the next episode starts. But we found that it only takes a round of golf on the course.” She says diplomatically. 

“Ha, that’s fantastic!” he says, reaching for the ice-cold beer Gen had just summoned. “I haven’t had this much fun since…” he trails off trying to remember the last time he did have that much fun. 

It was brief reprise in which him and Eleanor had a rare evening alone. It was right after he had given her a large chunk of her memories, but before he had restored the ones where her and Chidi fell in love. 

“hahahah you dip shirt!” she laughed, feeling the root beer float now sliding out the side of her mouth. She rolled onto her side, swiping it away as the blanket crinkled below their feet. Michael is still on his back, half choking as the float continues to pour out of his nose. 

“It’s the weirdest experience! There’s stuff coming out my nose, eyes, and down my throat!” he cheers, unable to stop laughing and snorting root beer float all over himself. I guess that’s what happens when you give a demon this much sugar.

As he settles himself down, he turns over on his side to look at her. The only sound that can be heard is a gentle ruffling of the waves lapping upon the shore. The night is calm, a few stars in the sky as the warm seat air tickles their feet. 

After having froyo with the rest of the group, Michael excused himself early, and Eleanor couldn’t help but follow, a nagging feeling in her gut. It was their last night before everything was going to collapse. 

When the rest of the group was headed to bed, Eleanor grabbed her shoes and followed Michael down the cobblestone path. It was the only one that led to the beach, she knew exactly where he was going. 

“I knew I’d find you here,” she called, causing him to turn back from the waves. But as he turned around, he snapped two simple blankets side by side. 

“What do you fancy?” he asked

“Two root beer floats!” 

Ten minutes later they were laying down, root beer sliding down his nostrils.

“Let me,” she offers, using her stripped sleeve to dab at the tears in his eyes. As soon as she touches his skin, his breath stops, though it was unnecessary to begin with. As his giggles stop, she pushes him back, looking into his eyes. 

As her body covers halfway on his chest, he breathes,

“Eleanor…”


	3. A Time to Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael relieves a memory. Janet brings devastating news from the bad place and Chidi comes home.

{PREVIOUSLY}  
“Let me,” she offers, using her stripped sleeve to dab at the tears in his eyes. As soon as she touches his skin, his breath stops, though it was unnecessary to begin with. As his giggles stop, she pushes him back, looking into his eyes. 

As her body covers halfway on his chest, he breathes,

“Eleanor…”

Chapter Three: A time to remember 

“…Michael,” she says shakily. A tremble coming off her lips he’s never heard before. Not in 802 reboots. Eleanor Shellstrop was never nervous, especially over an older guy, even if he was a silver fox. What was wrong with her?

She takes the back of her right hand, her left one Is supporting her weight, and strokes his left cheek gently; like a caress. She’s staring into his eyes in a way that could only be described as intimate. While she’s biting the bottom corner of her lip, he can feel her heart pounding against her chest so hard it’s radiating into his own. And he briefly wonders if that’s what it would feel like to have a human heartbeat. 

After gazing into his eyes for what feels like forever, she closes her own and leans down closer to him, closer to his lips. He feels his own skin suit twisting with anticipation and need. But just as their lips are about to meet, he whispers one word, causing her lips to rub against his own. 

“Wait,” he utters, so softly he’s not sure if he actually said it or just mouthed the word. But he must have voiced it, because he instantly feels her entire demeanor shift. From warm and anxious to rigid and cold. 

“uh, sorry,” she says, quickly rolling off of him and gathering up her blanket. 

“Eleanor, wait,” he asks, grabbing at her wrist to try and still her frantic escape. But when his warm hand clasps her wrists she chokes back a strangled sob, on the verge of tears and rips it out of his grasp. 

“I get it okay?” she snaps, looking around her for shoes. 

“Get what?” he questions, generally confused. 

“You don’t want me, it’s like fine. I was just, I wasn’t thinking okay. Let’s just forget this ever happened.” 

Without waiting for a response, she grabs her shoes and begins to walk away. There are a thousand things running through his mind and he’s worried that if he lets her walk away now there really won’t be any chance at moving past this moment. Why didn’t he just kiss her when he had the chance? Damn his newfound conscience, damn Chidi and his ethics. He’s running out of time, as her silhouette is fading into the foreground as she nears the beginning of the walkway lights. So, he blurts out, a little too loudly, the first thing that comes to his mind.

“I don’t know how anyone could not want you, Eleanor.” 

It wasn’t poetry but it was enough to gain her curiosity and cause her to stop. He decided to continue not to heal her pride but more so because being around Eleanor made him act like the big stupid fire squid he truly was inside. 

“How could I, not want you.” He confesses as he approaches her from behind. 

She can feel his hands graze her bare shoulders and she turns slowly in his arms. “Then why, why would you stop me?” 

He takes a deep breath, truly looking at her. He had a choice to make. Could he tell her the truth, and hope for the best? Or should he just kiss her senseless eternal damnation be damned. Taking his finger, he wipes away the tears still on her cheeks, and he grabs her hands placing a kiss on her knuckles. 

“You, Eleanor, are … everything. But you don’t have all of your memories back yet, there’s too much you don’t know, no – too much you deserve to know before making a decision like this.” 

She wasn’t sure what he going to do when she turned back around, but this confession wasn’t what she was expecting. 

“Maybe that’s true but I know me, I know how I feel right now. I can’t imagine anything changing this. I mean, I know all of the torture and games and reboots exist. I’ve already forgiven you for that. You’re my best friend. The one who never judges me, the one who never left. I can’t think of anything you could say to change how I feel about you right now,-“

“You’re in love with Chidi. Actually, in so many of the reboots.”

“What?”

“Yeah, he’s your first real love. You guys are really happy.” After seeing she isn’t going to find any words to say he continues, “And he really loves you Eleanor, for you, shrimp lover – mailman fantasies, all of it. I’m sorry I haven’t given you those memories back yet, perhaps I wanted a little more time with my best friend.”

“Buddy, you could’ve just told me. It wouldn’t have changed us,”

“Are you still planning on kissing me?” he asked, trying to prove his point. She just looked at him annoyed that he seemed to be able to read her so well. “So see, it has already changed us. And it always does once you two fall in love. I’m sorry, I should’ve given them back first,” he says looking down.

She stays quiet for a few minutes, and just as he starts to turn around and leave her with her thoughts, she grabs his arm and twists him back around. 

When he opens his mouth to ask her what she was doing, she’s jumps into his arms, and is kissing him. At first the jump causes him to stumble back with her a couple feet before catching his balance. But when he does and his body registers what is happening, he tilts his head and grants her tongue access. Her hands are across his back, shoulders, the nape of his neck, and in his hair. It’s wild, and messy and far better than he could’ve dreamed it would be. 

She whimpers into his mouth, evidently enjoying it as much as he was, and he pulls her closer thinking if he’s retired right now, he couldn’t have gone happier. But as quick as it started, he can feel their kiss gradually begin to simmer down, from a frantic passion to a romantic dance, as he does his best to express every single feeling, he’s had for her into their last few chaste kisses. Slowly she unravels herself from him, as he helps her slide gracefully back to the ground. Both trying to catch their breaths, as he tilts his forehead down to meet hers. 

“What was that for?” he asks though he’s not sure he wants the answer. 

“That was for caring about me enough to tell me the truth,” she says taking a step back but grabbing both of his hands. “And because I’ve been wanting to do that for a very, very long time.” She says causing him to smile a very goofy and shy smile. 

“Are you ready for your memories now?” he asks. 

But she pulls him in for one more quick kiss, shoving her tongue in his mouth causing him to moan into her own. God damn it, she was going to miss this. Pulling back abruptly but reluctantly she said, “Okay, now I am.”

He laughs reaching his hand out, as she placed it on the side of her head. As he closed his eyes, she said, 

“You know no matter what I see it’s not going to change the fact that I care about you. I made be drawn to Chidi and he me, but even if were together that doesn’t erase you in my life, okay?” she begged hoping he would feel a little better.

“Okay.” He said simply, smiling down at her. 

“And if I do some day get with Chidi like you think, and I start to be MIA like a little bench I want you to come and tell me. Okay?” she asks, making him chuckle. 

“Deal.” And after one final nod from her, he closed his eyes and began to give her back these memories. 

[PRESENT DAY]

“Well I’m glad you had a good day. Look, I think you’re almost ready. While the course plan normally takes a year being a genius kind of gave you an edge I wasn’t’ expecting. Give me a few more weeks, and maybe I can get your exam pushes up?”

“Really?” Michael beams, clasping his hands together. “Oh that would be just wonderful!” he rushed into Gen’s embrace. This was the best news he had received since he got here. It wouldn’t be much longer before he’d be able to see them again, before he’d be able to see ‘her’ again. 

“Don’t get all weepy on me now. I have one more surprise and I don’t want to have you sobbing like a gooey human all over me,”

“I’m sorry it’s all just so exciting,” he beams. “Okay, I’m prepared, what is it?”

“Janet!” Gen calls, laughing at this look of pure shock that trails across his face. 

“Do you mean I get to, that I can, that they will, or I will,…” he begins babbling, unable to finish a thought. The idea of seeing Janet, of knowing Gen was calling her was almost too much.

“You promised not to get mushy on me. Now it’s not all of them, but Janet is allowed to bring one of them with her to visit. But only for an hour. The timelines are too different to mesh them together any longer than that.” He smiles. While he most wanted to see Eleanor and Janet he would really do with any of them for right now. 

“Janet girl, don’t leave me hanging now,” Gen jokes, though fear is beginning to creep up her spine. It’s unlike Janet not to ‘bing’ immediately when someone mentioned her name.

“Come on Janet! Don’t keep me waiting!” Michael cheered, his anticipation bubbling to the surface like an adolescent whose had too much cake. 

“JANET?” Gen calls a little aggressively, starting to get worried until they hear a bing behind them.

“Oh Janet! Finally-“ Michael begins but is halted as soon as he turns around. Janet was there, but her face was chapped a bitter frostbite cold, and her face dirty. Her clothes were torn apart, and she had tears in her eyes. 

“Michael,” she pleads stepping forward and falling into his arms. “I didn’t think I’d get here, but please you have to come back, you have to help us,” she sobs as Gen grabs her from his arms.

“What’s happened Janet?” she inquires, Michael apparently too shocked to speak.

“It was Trevor, he… he took her… she’s gone.”

“Whose gone”? Gen pleaded confused and horrified at the sight before her. 

“Eleanor.”

Michael felt the hard concrete of the ground smack against his head before he even knew he was falling. Something was terribly wrong. Janet didn’t need help, Janet doesn’t defect from her normal outfit. Janet, said she was gone.. she.. it couldn’t, … don’t let it be..- Then she said the one word that crumbled the billion year old demon, literally buckling his knees and bringing him to the ground.

“What do you mean he took her?” Gen asked, glancing down at Michael but seeing he was more in a state of shock than in actual physical pain. “Sit here,” Gen offers summoning a couch for them and a pillow for under Michael’s head.

“Eleanor and I tried to create a new mountain in the neighborhood, and we were bickering over the designs and Eleanor accidentally smearing ink across the blueprint and that combined with our fight somehow made-“

“An open black hole to your universe.” Michael guess, now sitting up at least. 

“Exactly. We thought we repaired it with the magic tape, but we missed some of the ripples and the bad place broke through. Trevor, Sean and Vicky came in. Sean traumatized the humans a bit but Tahani is taking care of them. Vicky and Trevor however, injected ‘soma doma’ into Eleanor, and they took her. They’ve hid her in the ice mountains we made. But they were never finished correctly so I can’t find her. Jason and I have been looking for days.”

“So we’ll just go back and find her, no big deal right?” Michael offers, but Gen shakes her head.

“Michael,” she begins, but than looks back to Janet. “How many days ago was this, exactly?”

“What does that matter?” Michael asks but Janet ignores him.

“Six days ago,” she said so softly, as Gen’s gasp of horror fills the room. “I’ve been trying to get in contact but they shut down our communication with the outside universe unless one of us is directly summoned.” 

“The soma doma will leave her-“ Gen starts,  
“I know,” Janet nods, not wanting to hear the words out loud. 

“Have you got Chidi yet?” Gen asks, 

“No, Tahani, Jason and I decided she’d want us to wait. If we don’t find her, then we don’t need to ruin the experiment. It’s not what she would want. She’d want us to sacrifice the one for the many.”

“I’m going to retire Sean for this.” 

“Why do you need Chidi, will someone tell me what the fork is going on, and what the fork is Soma Doma?”

“I’ll get Sean, you get Eleanor.” Gen moves her hands across the sky like she’s manipulating the air, which in a sense she is. After a few minutes she turns back to Janet, “It’s safe to bring Michael now. The timelines are straightened out.” 

“WHAT IS GOING ON?” Michael screams literally pulling the hair on his head. Gen nods to Janet and bings out leaving them alone. 

“Michael, we have to go come here,” She takes his hand, “Soma Doma is a liquid magical mixture filled with parasites. If left in a human body for too long, in their blood circulation it will literally eat away at their brain, putting them in a coma forever.”

“How long is too long?”

“Seven days.”

“We need Chidi because there’s only two ways to cure someone. The kiss of a soul mate, only something that pure and bound by love can counter act that kind of poisonous evil.”

“And the other?”

“The ultimate sacrifice.” Seeing Michaels confusion, she continues, “Real, Permanente Death.”

The look of horror crosses his face briefly before shifting to one of determination. 

“Universe be damned, we’re going to get Chidi, NOW.” He barks so viciously Janet knows not to question him. She simply nods as she bings to the new neighborhood. 

When they get back to the neighborhood Tahani and Jason are waiting in Eleanor’s office for them. The first thought when they arrive is that Janet brought them to the wrong place. This wasn’t Eleanor’s office, this was.. his? From their old neighborhood. 

“Janet, where are we?” He questions, wondering if this mistake was intentional.

“Eleanor’s office,” Tahani answers, holding back her tears as she rushes to embrace him. He takes her in his arms, holding her tightly. “She kept it exactly how you had it,” she answers for him.

Somehow that touches him far more than he expected as a few tears fell from his eyes. God he’d missed her. But it wasn’t until he was in this office, the place they had spent so much time in that he realized just how much. It smelt like her, a bizarre mixture of sandalwood, and honey that was somehow so deliciously her. The scent enveloping a place that was so him.

“Glad you’re back dawg. She’s like, lost lost. Not even Janet can find her, and my girl can do anything.” Jason adds, causing Janet to frown. 

“He’s right Michael. We’ve really needed you,”

Janet states

The sentiment makes him feel warm inside, like he’s coming home. 

“Okay Janet, summon everything we need to not suffer hypothermia. Though none of us can die again we are still able to lose toes. Tahani, are you okay looking after the neighborhood while we’re gone?” To which she nodded, thankful to not be hiking mountains in below zero temperatures. “And Jason, go get Chidi and bring him here, we need to get him on board we’re running out of time.”

“But, we were going to wait-“

“I said NOW”, he growled causing Tahani and Jason to take a physical step back from him, taken back by his rage. “Please,” he replied a bit more gently but still leaving no room for debate. 

“Meet back here in twenty?” He questioned as the three of them took their leave. Once he was alone he finally allowed the trembling in his limbs to surface, the fear to strike into his hearts, the tears to come to his eyes. Had she seen it? The final memory, did she know? Or was it possible that she could cease to be Eleanor, without ever knowing?

As he walked around the office, opening and closing drawers he was touched by just how similar to his office she had kept it. The paper clip collection, the bowling ball, the ugly toddler, all still on display. She had added a few additions of her own. A picture of her Tahani, Chidi, and Jason from one of the earlier reboots eating froyo. A purple vest of Janet’s in the case next to the first spoon him and Janet had shared together when she decided on frozen yogurt. And on her sofa thrown across the back was the blanket she had laid on- that night on the beach so long ago. 

He went to sit down, slid his hand across the desk. He could do this, especially now that their family was going to be back together. He was home, and now Chidi would be coming home too. It was together they did their best work. He opened the left top drawer and found a flask, after sniffing it his suspicions were confirmed – tequila. In the top right drawer were her architect plans. He began scanning through them seriously impressed with how she’d been making use of his power these last two months. She’d made him proud just like he knew she would.

But there was a drawer in the middle that was locked. Reaching under the seat where he used to keep his key – he found hers. The woman was nothing if not thorough. He unlocked the drawer and pulled it open. Inside he found a picture of her and Chidi in that clown infested Icelandic house. Their arms around one another mid laugh at something funny. Next to the picture was one other thing in the drawer. He reached towards the back to grasp at whatever was rolling around and he pulled out his bad place pin. The one that he had given to her when he sacrificed himself and pushed her through the portal. 

“Hey there!” Janet chimes when she re-enters. Michael fumbles to put the things back in the drawer feeling like he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Possibly, because he was. “Don’t worry I don’t think she’d mind, otherwise she wouldn’t have put the key where you did,” she suggests making him feel less embarrassed.

After placing down the backpack’s, gloves, and other things they’d need Michael sighs. 

“I wish we wouldn’t have messed up the design so much. If not, we could have just changed the temperature and gotten there far easier. But I fear it’s too complicated now we could jeopardize blowing up the whole with it being so unstable.”

“How was everyone doing, before all this?” he asks softly, trusting Janet will be honest with him.

“Turns out she’s a fantastic architect, and leader,” she begins knowing that who he’s really most interested in. “Everyone even the Janet and Derek babies love her. She had just had her first breakthrough with Brent. Chidi is perfectly on tract, and thanks to Tahani so is Josh. It’s been Simone and Brent that have been the hardest. But Simone is trying because Chidi is her soul mate. And Brent just invited the whole group to go skiing with him before we messed up the mountain templet.”

She began filling him in with the details of the humans and the experiment but she knew that wasn’t what he wanted to know.

“And Eleanor, was she okay with Chidi forgetting her?” he asks, worried she may have been suffering without him there to help her. 

“She was. The first two weeks were really hard for her. But she’s gained a friendship with him and Simone and she’s okay now. She even meets them for coffee once a week to check in.”

“Oh. Well, that’s good news.” He says a little crestfallen. 

“She’s really missed you Michael,” Janet digresses, not sure if she really should divulge that information. 

“It appears she’s been doing just fine,” he motions to her plans. 

“I’m here most nights because she can’t sleep. She’s begged me to bring her to you a hundred times in these first few months. It’s been a lot harder on her than I anticipated. But it’s made us good friends too. I’m looking out for her now not just because you asked, but because I really want too. It’s weird to want things for myself.”

Janet bings out quickly and then bings back. “Tahani said she’s got events planned for tomorrow, and not to worry about a thing but finding Eleanor.”

Michael sighs in relief but is interrupted by Jason pushing Chidi through the office door. “I’m not jianyu, I’m Jason dawg.” He says, pushing Chidi down towards the sofa. 

“I thought you were a monk!?” he squeaks, grabbing his stomach and paling by the second. 

“I’m so sorry to have to do this to you Chidi, but it’s a life or death situation. It’s time for you to remember,” Michael begins walking around the desk towards where he’s sitting.

“Woah, woah, wait wait wait.” Chidi begs. Placing his hands in front of his face as a shield. “I think you have the wrong guy here, I’m not that guy the life or death guy. I’m literally the last person you call in that situation.” 

“There’s no time to explain but we’re your friends and we need you to trust us Chidi. Eleanor’s life depends on it.” Janet states in the most serious tone.

“What can I do?” he asks, “She’s literally like God, How could I help her?”

“Trust me,” Michael asks, extending his hand to Chidi’s face.

“Oh god. All right,” he concedes stepping forward, as he instantly gets flooded with memories.


	4. Still Haven't Found, What I'm Looking For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The five of them work together to track down Eleanor, before it's too late.

Chapter Four: Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.

They sat back in silence waiting for Chidi to open his eyes. It seemed like it had been hours but in reality, barely five minutes had passed. Michael was pacing back and forth, in an eerily similar manner to how Janet would often find Eleanor. Jason was eating while Janet stood quietly in the corner. Michael had restored a good chunk of Chidi’s memories. Enough for him to remember what he and Eleanor had shared.

As much as it pained him, he knew that it was Chidi who first taught Eleanor how to love. He was the first one to gain her trust, her friendship, her love. He made her a better person, he made her want to become a better person. If there was any hope of bringing her back from the brink of nothingness – it was Chidi. 

“Okay. Wow. Okay.” He says, standing up and looking around at everyone. “How long has it been since I was in Janet’s void?”

“Nine weeks.” Janet answers.

“Okay. And oh god. Simone, and…”

“There’s no time to analyze any of that, and if we don't move quickly there will be no reason to.”

Michael began grabbing their things, “Janet can you bring us there one by one?”

“The closest I can safely transport is the base of the mountain, we’ll have to climb the rest of the way. Unfortunately using any of our abilities too close could compromise the structure, resulting in imminent explosion or implosion of the mountain.”

And without waiting for another response she grabbed Jason and after receiving a nod transported him. Michael and Chidi stood waiting. Michael decided to use the few moments alone to explain the gravity of the situation to him.

“But what if me being with Simone caused some cosmic shift and I’m not her soul mate anymore?”

“That’s not how it works. If humans have soul mates, you are hers. You two always found each other. Always. There’s a connection between you two that me an eternal being and Janet an actual genius cannot figure out.”

“Ok. That makes sense.” Chidi reasons rubbing his sweating palms on his jeans. 

Soon Janet was back, taking Chidi with her and then Michael.

“We’ve already hiked the entire south & west areas of the mountain. We have the North & East to tackle. If we split up it could go faster. But we’re also more vulnerable alone.”

Chidi had already began walking, heading north without waiting to hear what the plan was. They were running out of time and the faster they started looking the better. He owed her so much, she must have been devastated sitting back and watching him and Simone. Oh god, she had pushed them together for him. She really had become a good person.

“Wait up,” Jason reasons, chasing after Chidi. Grateful for the company he waits, and when Janet shrugs her shoulders and begins heading east, Michael decides to follow her, figuring even numbers made the most sense. 

The mountain Janet and Eleanor had created was gorgeous. It was however filled with far too many caverns and hollows. Inside each one of them were wooden rocking chairs with throw quilts and little campfires for warmth. There were tea-lights powered by Janet’s magic that illuminated a small area. It was designed for the Janet babies and the humans to have a small place to relax in between skiing. Some of the larger ones had long benches to sit on with hot chocolate stations. 

However due to their mix up some of the caverns weren’t filled with such beauty. Some were barely lit, with no fires, gaping black holes in the center, and filled with bats. They could assume Eleanor was probably in the later considering it was Trevor who had hid her there. Surely even though she wasn’t conscious he wouldn’t allow her such comforts. 

It was really the most brilliant kind of torture Michael reasoned while him and Janet walked in silence. They could either save the one they loved and damn humanity, or they could lose the one they love and save the human race. Suddenly the trolly problem never made more sense to Michael. Not even when he chose to sacrifice himself to save Eleanor. Because now it was losing one to save billions, or lose billions to save one, and he still chose Eleanor. He knew it wasn’t what she would have wanted.

He knew that the other humans were right to wait on getting Chidi. If there was a way to win this thing, she would want that for them. But he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t just sacrifice her and look the other way. Nor could Chidi, as soon as he had his memories back, he was ready to go and get her. Not a question on what about the earth? What about the experiment? It was simply how bad he had hurt her. Would she still love him?

Tahani agreed to do whatever was necessary, and Jason and Janet were on board with his decision. Even if they had to spend the rest of eternity in the bad place, at least they would all be there. Team cockroach, forever. 

It had been hours, hours of checking cave after cave, cavern after hollow and they were no closer to finding her. Their bones were aching from the cold and the further they walked it seemed the less fireplaces they came across. 

“Why are we so cold?” Michael mumbles to Janet, his breath creating a fog so thick he had to squint to see through it. 

“It was Eleanor’s idea,” she starts smirking at the memory, “Since most of the neighborhood is comprised of Janet babies, she wanted me to create a temperature all the residents would be subject to. This way if they were spotted on the mountain by the humans it would look more realistic.” 

“Impressive,” he said and just plain smart. He wouldn’t have thought about that. There she went, surprising him again. It was starting to get dark and Michael was starting to worry. Sure he could see in nine dimensions so the darkness wasn’t a real problem for him. But the fact that it was drawing closer to Eleanor’s brain disintegrating, was. 

“How much of the mountain do we have left?” he asked just before spotting Chidi and Jason approaching from the distance. 

Hearing her breath catch at spotting Jason and Chidi, he feared he knew the answer. She turned to him with a forlorn expression, 

“None.”

Chidi begins speeding towards them, “Please tell me you found her?!” 

Michael screams a defining growl into the distance, the sheer force of it shake the ground beneath them. 

“Forking Trevor, she’s not here! She was probably never here!” Michael realizes far too late.

“Janet get Chidi down to the bottom of the mountain so you can get him back to the neighborhood.” Michael says, “We won’t all make it back in time, but you might be able to get Chidi there.”

“No dude” Jason says, “Janet couldn’t find her in the neighborhood.”

“It’s true Michael. I’ve been scanning every day, it shows she’s here,”

“Trust me, I know Trevor and Sean. They probably planted something of hers here to pick up on your scans. But she’s got to be cloaked back in the neighborhood. I mean think of it, if they can enter it, why not be able to manipulate it?”

Janet with a newfound confidence grabbed Chidi by the hand and they began running. 

{A LITTLE BIT LATER}

When Janet and Chidi get to the bottom of the mountain, he turns to her, “Now what?” They hadn’t figured out where in the neighborhood she was. Which direction should they head? There wasn’t a lot of time left before the worst would happen. 

“If you wanted to hide something tiny, where would you put it?” Janet asks,

“Somewhere large and spacious!” he gets it, grabbing her hand, “Tahani’s mansion!”

Janet bings them there, and they begin frantically searching room by room for her. Chidi starts at the bottom floor working his way up, and Janet bings to the fifth floor. It would be so much easier if they hadn’t cloaked her aura. After the fifth floor was finished, she bings down to the forth, then the third, and then the second before finally running into Chidi. 

“Any luck?” He asks, his hand on the next door. 

“If this is the last room on this floor, she should be in here,”

They give one another a hopeful nod and Chidi opens the door. It’s dark, and bone chillingly cold in contrast to the rest of the mansion. There’s nothing in the room but a single wooden bench in the center of it. A small silhouette is cast upon it, motionless, lifeless. 

“Oh thank god!” Chidi says, rushing over to her side. 

“There’s still time,” Janet encourages, “but not much”. 

“Oh Eleanor I’m so sorry, for everything” he says before leaning in and giving her a soft kiss on the lips. It felt weird, so unlike when you read about it in fairy tales. She felt ice cold, lifeless like she was dead, or at least dead like people appear on earth. After a few seconds he pulled back, stroking her cheek waiting for something to happen. He looked up at Janet and saw a frown etching across her face. “What’s wrong did I do it wrong? Oh God. I did it wrong!”

“Maybe try again,” she suggests, though she’s doubtful it will help. 

He slides his hand underneath her head, to better pull her to him, and kisses her on the lips once more, thinking of all the happiness and love they have experienced with one another. But he can feel her immobilized beneath him as he pulls back and begins sobbing into her hair. 

“Why isn’t it working? I love her, truly. For exactly who she is, and she loves me. What am I doing wrong?” he sobs aloud more so to himself than anyone else. “I finally got her back, and now she’s leaving me.”

“I think that while what you two had was true love Chidi, you just aren’t soul mates. But that doesn’t mean she loves you any less.” Janet offered placing her hand on his should and kneeling down next to her friend.

“I thought I heard something in here,” Tahani said rounding the door with elegance and grace. “Janet what have you done with the music room? I can’t see a thing,” causing Janet to snap her fingers and summon soft lights around the room. 

“oh you’ve found her!” Tahani chimes, rushing to take a step towards her friend, but seeing Chidi look up with tears in his eyes, she realizes this isn’t a happy occasion “oh dear,” she utters walking over and going to kneel with her friends by Eleanor’s bedside. 

But before she can Janet summons a sectional sofa to wrap around the wooden bench, and summons a beautiful queen bed with warm blankets for Eleanor to rest in. She summons headphones and places them on Eleanor’s ears, “Rhianna” she utters to the room, hoping somehow it touches her subconscious. 

The three of them sit down in silence all laying against one another on the sofa. Janet is in the middle with Chidi laying on her one shoulder and Tahani on the other. Janet continues summoning little things every few minutes to make the room feel more like Eleanor. A Steve Austin poster on the wall, a mailman calendar, a margarita fountain, causing a small smile to come to Chidi and Tahani’s faces, though they’re fleeting. 

“Janet!” a familiar voice rings through the corridor of Tahani’s second floor. Tahani stands to greet their guest, ever the perfect hostess. 

“Hey Gen, she’s in here.”

Gen followed Tahani back into the room and sighed seeing the fiercest human she’d ever met laying so still before her. It seemed more like a natural human death on earth, than a coma. 

“I take it sugar lips over here wasn’t her soulmate?” she guesses, by the state of things. 

“How is it possible? I thought humans did have soulmates. Or is it only in the good place?” Chidi asks, frustrated. 

Gen decided if she should divulge what she’s discovered, unsure if it would do more harm than good. So, for now, she kept the information to herself. Instead she replied, “some humans do have soulmates. But some never find them.”

“There’s really nothing else we could do?” Tahani asks, “If anyone would know about this it’s you Hun,” she probes Janet. But it’s Gen who answers. 

“A sacrifice by her one true love could cure her as well, but considering Chidi is clearly not her soulmate, even if he wanted to sacrifice himself for her, it would be far too risky. It most likely wouldn’t even work” Gen frowns. “I’m sorry if there was something I could do-“ Gen trailed off, not even she had the powers to reverse a curse.

“We know, thanks.” Janet said. 

{A LITTLE WHILE LATER}

Jason and Michael finally made their way back down the mountain. It only took Michael a few seconds after Janet left to figure out where they’d hide Eleanor. The smallest thing in the largest place. It makes sense why the mountain made such a nice decoy to Tahani’s mansion. His human suit didn’t have the same speed as Janet’s, stupid useless legs. 

But as soon as they were down the mountain, they picked up their pace heading for the mansion. Starting at the bottom and deciding to work his way up, it didn’t take long to find them. 

“GUYS?” he’d shout running down the hallways with Jason in toe, to which Jason would always respond “GIRLS!”

When they ended up on the second floor, Janet heard Jason yelling ‘girls’, and looked around. The only thing worse than knowing Eleanor was never going to wake up again, was the fear of telling Michael. 

“I’ll do it,” Janet offered, feeling since she knew Michael best it would make the most sense it be her. 

“I’ll make sure she stays comfortable,” Gen offers adding a gentle ocean breeze to the air. Janet nods her thanks and steps out into the hallway.

“Oh, good you’re here! I knew you’d figure it out. Is she awake yet? Oh God, how many margaritas has she had?” he jokes, barely registering the look that crosses Jason’s face. If there was one thing he was extremely educated in, it was Janet. He nodded and walked into the room, when Michael went to follow, she grabbed his forearm as he was side by side her. 

While facing different directions she turned to her right, unable to bring herself to meet his eyes, but said, 

“Michael,”

“Come on Janet, I know you’ve already had some time with her, but I haven’t seen her in eight months!”

“Michael!” she calls again as he pulls out of her grasp and rounds the corner into the room.


	5. Sleight of Hand and Twist of Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael discovers Eleanor's fate.

Chapter Five: Sleight of hand and twist of fate. 

As soon as Michael steps into the room, his feet stop working. They refuse to carry him closer. His family is all giving him apologetic looks, Tahani and Chidi not even bothering to hide their tears, even Jason and Gen look positively sick with grief. Janet comes around from behind him, sliding her hand into his.

“Michael, it didn’t work.” She states simply not sure how else to explain the obvious to him. She feels a slight tremble of his hand but besides that he remains still. His eyes leave his friends and slowly he drags them across the room to the queen bed laying in the center. He can see her blonde hair sticking out from underneath the large fluffy comforters. But he can’t bring his feet to move closer. If he looks upon her face, he’s not sure he’ll be able to recover. 

The fact that he hasn’t seen it, is the only thing keeping him together at the moment. “But Chidi..” he begins, so inaudible only Janet could hear it. He was so sure that this would work. That as long as they found Chidi and got them together, he would heal her. 

“Not her soulmate apparently,” she responds telepathically in a way they hadn’t been able to in months. 

Michael can feel every single one of his heart’s shatter. The air he’s never needed seems to escape his lungs when he’s just became desperate for one last breath. There’s an ache in his inner essence so intense he’s having a hard time making out anything happening around him, anything but the pain. The indescribable anguish becoming so overwhelming he can’t see, he can’t breathe, god why does he need to breathe?

“No. No. No. This, this isn’t happening. Eleanor” he calls, rushing to the side of her bed. This can’t be real; this is one of those nightmares he began having a few reboots ago. A long, and vivid one. Maybe this was what lucid dreaming felt like. He climbed onto the bed, gently pulling the comfortable down to reveal her face. 

He strokes the side of her cheek, before turning around and choking on his own vomit as Janet promptly summons a garbage can. He proceeds to throw up for a few minutes, before taking a glass of water, from Janet. While he wasn’t sure what he would feel when he looked at her, he never imagined it’d feel like this. She looks, gone. Like an empty vessel, no essence, no Eleanor. The air lacked the honey, the sandalwood her presence would provide, it was cruel. 

“Eleanor, no” he sobbed, laying his head down on her chest ignoring the tear-soaked cheeks of his family as they watched this scene unfold before them. “You can’t leave me, please. Please, Eleanor, I’m in love with you,” he confesses in anguish causing a ripple of shock to wash across Tahani, Gen, Jason, and Chidi. Even Janet seemed a bit stunned, not that he felt it but that he said it aloud. 

“Perhaps we should,” Janet motions for them to give him some privacy. They begin to stand to leave, when Michael turns around. 

“That’s it,” he realizes, climbing off the bed, and turning to face his friends. “Gen, I need you to retire me please.” 

“NO!” Tahani cries, Jason shaking his head, and Janet simply saying, “Michael”

“There’s no guarantee that would work Michael, and you know it.” Gen reasons. 

“Look, being a demon there’s no chance I’m her soulmate, I’ve always known that. It’s why she always belonged with Chidi over me. But I love her with every piece of my essence, and if there’s a chance my ceasing to exist can cure her, then you have to do it Gen, please.”

“Michael, what if it doesn’t work? Then we’ll have lost both of you!” Tahani claims, 

“She’s right Michael,” Janet confirms. 

“I hope you understand, I don’t mean to be selfish, but I don’t plan on staying here if she’s gone. It’s not that I don’t love you all, because I do. But I won’t exist without her. At least this way, there’s a chance I can bring her back to you.” Michael pleads. God, he knew he was being a selfish blastard, but this pain wasn’t something even a billion-year-old fire squid could recover from. 

“And what about us dawg, when she wakes up? You think she’s gonna just forgive us, be okay with you gone?” Jason questions. 

“Bozo’s got a point,” Gen says. “Michael there’s only an hour left.”

Michael summoned a knife, plunging it into his stomach, causing Tahani to scream and hide her face in Chidi’s arm. 

“What are you doing!?” Chidi squealed. 

“I’m bleeding out my inner goo, when I bleed out Gen here can reach my essence, she can take it and throw it on the suns. When that’s done, Eleanor will wake up, and everything will be okay,” Michael said, as if it was the simplest plan in the world.

“Michael please, don’t do this,” Janet begs, summoning magic tape and taking a step towards him. But he quickly stepped back and climbed on the bed next to Eleanor. 

“This is my choice Janet.” He says, “Please just let me have some time with her before it’s over.”

“This is insane Michael,” Chidi pleads while Michael is removing her headphones.

“I love each one of you. But I’ve lived a billion years. And it wasn’t until the last thousand that I’ve learned what it means to love, to be loved, to have a family, a noble job, and I’m so grateful to you all. And to Eleanor, who allowed me to fall in love, something I didn’t think a demon was even allowed to be able to do. But now, I need to do this, for her, for all of you. I’ve had my time, now it’s hers.”

“We love you Michael,” Tahani offers, and he simply smiles and turns on his side towards Eleanor. 

“Ditto,” he says as they shuffle out of the room. 

He turns on his side, clutching the open wound in his stomach. This was going to be far messier than he considered, but he wanted to be close to her. Hopefully Gen would clean up his skin suit and goo before she woke up.

“Do you know how long I’ve loved you Eleanor Shellstrop,” he asks rhetorically, stroking the hair back from her face. “I can’t say I’m surprised this is how it ends for us. I actually thought it might be you who stabbed me one day, out of sheer annoyance.” He laughs to himself. 

“I hope you forgive me when I’m gone. I hope you know that this, all of this, was only for you. You never had the life you deserved on earth, but you have a chance to have this one. Janet will get Gen to continue the experiment even with Chidi knowing. She’ll have to now that Sean and his minions intervened so severely. But you’ll be able to do it Eleanor. You’re going to change all of humanity, and I just wish you knew how proud I was of you.”

“I’m sorry Chidi wasn’t the soulmate you thought he was. But at least, at least you know and now it can be your choice if you want to make things work with him or not. He really does love you, soul mate or not. Ha, I feel so human right now. Laying here, talking to the woman I love while we’re both dying. It’s kind of ironic that death was what finally made me feel alive.” He sighs pulling her closer to him gently, and laying his head on hers. 

“You Eleanor Shellstrop have given me a soul, you are the essence I’m comprised of, you are all of the goodness in me and I love, I love you.”

Feeling the strength begin to leave his arms, his vision beginning to blur he decides there’s one last place he needs to see. Can he make it there? Taking one last look upon her form he leans down, kissing her on the lips and though he knew it impossible, with him being a demon, part of him was still disappointed when she lay there lifeless as he pulled back. Stupid soulmates, stupid fairy tales. 

Smiling one last time, he climbed out of bed, and headed towards the door. 

“Janet” he called, and she was there within a second.

“Yes Michael, have you changed your mind?” she offers holding up the magic tape. 

“Yes, but not about that.” He says and she frowns making the tape disappear. “What can I do for you?”

“Take me to the beach?” he asks, “the old beach,” he clarifies so she’s aware of which one he’s talking about.

“Okay Michael, come on.” 

After bringing him to the old beach, he leans in and pulls Janet in for a hug with one hand while trying to keep his stomach goo from covering her with the other. 

“I’m sorry it has to be this way,” he offers knowing this decision hurts her most of all. 

“I know,” she smiles, wiping the tears from her eyes as he pulls back. 

She summons the blanket from Eleanor’s office, and he looks at her inquisitively. 

“She told me the story,” she explains handing him the blanket. “I figured you’d want it here.”

“I did, thank you,” he says sitting down on the sand and wrapping himself in it. Unlike when he was next to her lifeless form, this blanket encased him in her scent bringing him comfort as his body grew weaker, the pain stronger. 

“Would you mind, letting me go alone. I don’t want you to have to watch this.”

Janet nodded, placing a hand on his shoulder, “I’ll send Gen in a little while then?” she asked, still wishing there was some way he could change her mind.

“and Janet will you-“

“Look after her? Of course. But this is going to really, really hurt her Michael.”

Michael sighs, that he knows. “But at least she’ll be ‘here’ again, she’ll heal in time, you’ll help her, won’t you?”

She sighs, “I’ll do my best.” 

“Kid, I love you yah know,” he says, grabbing her hand on his shoulder.

“I know Michael, me too.” And with that she’s gone.  
Feeling his eyes grow heavy he lays down on the beach, wrapping the blanket around him and closing his eyes. This was the place he was the happiest, and now he can go on knowing Eleanor will survive this, and that was a sacrifice worth making.

{Tahani’s Mansion}

“Hello?” a weak voice called, throat raspy and hoarse. When she finally willed her eyes to open it was a task harder than she could have imagined. It was like each lid weighed thousands of pounds. Now, just sitting up she’s in a room that appears to be hers, but she’s never been there before. And why is there a sectional sofa wrapped around the bed?

Slowly stretching her legs and seeing they appear to work she climbs down off of the bed. Where was she and why couldn’t she remember anything? But when she looked down and saw the demon blood all over her bed, it came rushing back to her. Trevor, Vicky, the promise of becoming brain dead, or destroying humanity. But who had fought them off? Why was she awake?

Suddenly Chidi walks in, still sniffling.

“AH!” he shouts as he looks up and sees her standing there. “Oh my god, Eleanor, are you okay?”

“Chidi!” Eleanor sighs opening her arms for a hug, which he gladly grants. “You know who I am?”

“Of course I do, Michael gave me my memories back to help save you. But how are you all right?”

“I guess we are soul mates huh?” she guessed, knowing that was the only way that the spell could be broken. 

“No.” he said too loudly, but then continued in a gentler tone, “I mean, I did try, we searched the mountains until Michael realized you were here, and then I did kiss you, but it didn’t work. I wasn’t, I’m not your soul mate.”

“Oh, then how-“

“Oh my god, JANET!” Chidi yells, spinning around when she bings back in.

“Yeah Chidi, oh Eleanor!” she smiles, rushing to pull her into a hug. “You’re back!”

Eleanor still a little uneasy on her feet sit back down on the bed. “Hey everyone!” Janet calls, as the rest of their little family shuffles in. 

“Oh, you look positively well again!” Tahani says, Jason was fist bumping her. 

Eleanor is thankful for all of the love but is still confused. 

“Where’s Michael? Chidi when you said he gave you your memories back I just assumed he’d be here?”

The room is full of silence when she asks again, “Chidi?”

“There could still be time to stop him?” Tahani suggests, but Janet shakes her head. 

“I’m not sure and Gen was already on her way. Plus, we can’t be certain that’s not why or how she woke up to begin with.” Janet said, thinking more so out loud than answering Tahani. 

“Especially because, I thought demons couldn’t have soulmates,” Tahani added

Eleanor was confused. What was the reason she woke up, where was Michael? Why was everyone being so forking evasive! 

“Stop him from what?” Eleanor began, waiting for an answer. 

“Retiring himself to save you girl,” Jason explained. 

“WHAT!? Janet where did you take him? Take me there now, I need to stop him!” she pleaded.

Janet reached out her hand, not at all confident this was a good idea. Gen could be scooping out his essence and that wasn’t something either of them could handle seeing. But she also felt like she owed it to her. 

“Eleanor, there’s almost a hundred percent change him already being retired is what brought you back.” 

“No. I need to see him or at least I need to hear Gen tell me herself.”

Everyone looked extremely depressed, as Janet nodded to the ground and left for the beach with Eleanor. 

{THE BEACH}

When they appeared on the beach it was completely dark, causing Eleanor to turn and throw her hands up in the air until Janet realized the girl couldn’t see a thing. 

“Sorry,” she offered clapping her hands and causing all the stars and moon to brighten enough to illuminate everything. She saw her blanket, the one from her office wrapped around a long figure, and someone kneeling over them in the distance. 

“I fear my earlier theory was correct,” Janet said trying to bury all of her own emotions. They could wait until later, Eleanor was going to need her now. As predicted she took off running towards them, her crying causing Gen to look up, and stumble back slightly. 

“Eleanor?” she questioned, 

“Don’t touch him!” she tried to yell, but it came out more as a desperate plea. “Don’t you touch him,” she sobbed covering his body with her own, trying to shield him from whatever the judge was about to do. 

“You’re here, you’re alive?” Gen continued not even phased by the display but seemingly elated as if the most wonderful thing in the world had happened. “Eleanor, he’s not dead! JANET!” the judge called, causing Janet to just bing there instead of walking the rest of the way.

“he isn’t’ dead, do you still have that magic tape? Eleanor, I need you to move back,” but when she refused to move she said, “Eleanor we can still save him,”

She leaned back but stayed next to his head, stroking her hands through his white hair. What the hell was he thinking? Retirement? Gen poured the goo back inside of him, as Janet began taping up his wound repeatedly, as his form started to fill out. 

“Huh, so I guess that rumor about demon’s not having soulmates is bullshirt,” Gen smirks, looking up at Eleanor. She looked up from Michael, shocked, and stared at Gen until it registered. “Michael, he’s my..”

“Soulmate, it appears so. There’s no other way you would have survived.”

Tears start streaming down her cheeks, as she throws herself back onto Michael. She begins crying and kissing him all over his cheeks, and mouth, and forehead, until eventually he begins to stir beneath her.

Perhaps he expected retirement to be well, painful, absent, blank, anything but wonderful. Yet, here he was, inhaling a scent that was so perfectly a replica of Eleanor, and feeling her hands all over him, her kisses all over his face, her body pressed against his. If this was what retirement was like, he’s mad he hadn’t done it years ago. But then the phantom began speaking at first it was far away and muffled, slowly becoming clearer. 

“…you…shirt! … Thinking….anyone….yourself!... I… you..don’t ever.. again!”  
“I love you, you stupid forking blastard. How could you do that to me, you were going to leave me here alone! You’re supposed to be my forking soulmate!” she cries, kissing him again until she suddenly feels him kiss back, and she stops pulling back from him in surprise.

“Soul mate?” he questions causing her to laugh. Of all the things she’d said to him, that was the one that stuck.

“It appears so mikey boy, you’re stuck with me now.” She jokes exhaling a huge sigh of relief when he finally opens his eyes to her. 

“Oh Eleanor,” he says, sitting up and clutching his hands to her face. “I thought I’d never-“

“me too-“ she sobs, half rejoicing and half in tears. 

“I love-“ she smiles, but can’t help but cut him off again.

“Me too-“ she laughs, as he pulls her in for a kiss. 

After a few minutes, Gen coughs getting their attention. “we’re going to head back and let the others know what’s going on,” she offers clearly seeing they wanted a little more time alone.

“Wonderful,” Michael exclaims, “tell them I’m sorry about all of this,” he motions down to where his gaping hole was just moments before. Eleanor uses the moment to climb herself into his embrace. God she’d missed him over the last few months. But after everything she’d learned over the last few minutes it almost didn’t feel real. 

“Michael,” she says, sitting up and turning his head towards her own waiting for their eyes to meet. “I watched the memory,” she says, causing him to turn away. But she grabs his chin and turns him back to her. “Right now, I just want to be here, but eventually we’re going to talk about this, okay?” she offers, deciding to give him a break since he had literally just almost died for her.

“Okay,” he agrees softly, nodding his consent. 

“But for now,” she offers, pushing him back playfully on the sand, he laughs and begins tickling her, flipping her over so he was huddling on top of her. “You thought I’d stab you out of sheer annoyance?” she asks smirking. His mind searches for where to place that and he gasps a bit,

“you heard me, you remember that?” he questions,

“Well not at first, but it’s slowly coming back to me bit by bit. But I assure you, I have no plans on stabbing you, at least any time soon,” she teases.

“Oh good,” he rolls his eyes, but can’t help but smile. She pulls him in for another quick kiss, before laying down and pulling him against her as the big spoon.

“We should probably go back soon, everyone will want to see you,” she offers, but as she does so she’s pulling their blanket over them.

“Yes, you too.” He agrees, snuggling against her neck, inhaling her scent. 

“Five more minutes?” she asks, feeling him nod as he wrapped his arm around her, and pulled her closer.


	6. Dark Dreams & Daffodils

Chapter Six: Dark Dreams & Daffodils 

It had been a long few days. Eleanor was feeling the slumber like coma she had endured while Michael was still sore and from literally being taped back together. Tahani had been gracious enough to have a small log cabin crafted for them before they had even returned from the beach that night. Thankfully Janet was more than willing to do so, considering how much she knew her friends would need the rest.

The cabin rested at the start of the woods, a mere two-minute walk from Tahani’s mansion. There was a warm fireplace in the middle of the room where you walked in, with gold lights strewn across the hearth dangling down to the hardwood floor. The walls and ceiling were lined with logs and wooden pillars; true to the form of a beautiful mountain home. 

After spending the first twenty-four hours asleep, and the next in and out of it, Eleanor woke with a cold chill beside her. She stretched as she turned over and realized that for the first time in almost two days, she wasn’t actually touching his skin. The warmth contained inside him now bubbling to the surface as his wounds began to heal- it provided a warmer than usual and filled her chilled soul with the fire she yearned for. 

She still on her side she haphazardly grasped at the sheets, feeling her entire body begin to convulse. 

“….” She tried, but before she was able to utter a word a syllable, the reality of the past few days came crashing down on her. Her mind, still in a haze began racing to see what was real and what was a nightmare. Michael dying, the goo spilling out of him, holding his limp form where his essence used to be. Gen calling for Janet, had she made it there in time? 

Falling limp down on the sheets that smelled so strongly of him wasn’t’ enough to jolt her awareness back to the present. She began sobbing a horrible retched scream, as if she could feel the essence pouring out of him, as if she could feel him ceasing to exist. Her hands clutch the sheets as she ripped at them, pulling them towards the hole in the center of her chest.

Needing something, anything to fill the emptiness threatening to swallow her whole. The hole that created a pain unlike anything she’d ever felt before. Something equivalent only to someone slicing off her skin inch by inch with a rusted razor blade. She wondered if it was possible to end your ‘essence’ after your body had already died. Because ceasing to exist, was the only antidote that could soothe a heartache, such as this. 

**********************&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**************************

Plucking the last of the white daffodils he could find, he smiled to himself. While Eleanor Shellstrop hated most flowers, there was one exception. A simple daffodil. Not the vibrant yellow on yellow, but the pale white, with a deep golden inside- the ones people often threw away in place of the superior hue. It was this flower that made her smile. They had used it during her lost memory, the one he knew she’d be wanting to discuss once she woke again.  
And there was so much to discuss. How could he explain to her now, after everything they had been through, all he’d kept from her? 

Twisting the small collection of flowers in his hand he placed them on the ground. After unclipping a single paper clip from his lapel, he unwound it, and began twisting it around the stems. Perhaps this small token would make her smile, before they had to dive into the inevitable hurt, the inevitable pain, and tears. 

Still deep in contemplation he was suddenly knocked backwards on the ground. Out of nowhere a poison was dripping down his throat, thick, like tar revoking all semblance of peace and capacity for joy. Gripping the small bouquet, he began walking in the direction the pain was emanating from. 

Michael wasn’t sure how he knew but he knew there was something seriously wrong. Wouldn’t Janet have come to him if something happened? Things should’ve been going smoothly with Trevor and Shawn out of the picture. But it wasn’t until his ultra-advanced hearing finally picked up that he broke into a sprint. 

The darkness, the weight of insurmountable pain, the knife slicing sobbing, now he understood why he could feel it. It wasn’t just anyone in pain, or anything wrong. Something was wrong with Eleanor. His Eleanor, his soulmate. Finally starting to regain some of his senses he yelled out,

“Janet, help. Need to get to-,” 

Before he could do more than put his hands up, he slammed into the front door of their Cabin mid stride. Thankfully Janet had heard his request, binging him here immediately. “Thanks,” he mumbled breathlessly. Without waiting for the stinging in his hands to subside, he dropped the flowers and grabbed for the doorhandle. However, he was shaking so much it ripped off the hinge into his hands, as he growled and kicked the door open. 

Throwing the doorknob towards the couch he strode past the now, barely lit embers in the fireplace, and pushed their bedroom door open. He almost dropped to his knees as he saw the love of his life, shaking and clinging to their bedsheets on his side of the bed. His heart dropped when he realized she must’ve woken up to find him gone.

“Eleaner,” he spoke in the way that only he could. Walking over he saw her body immediately still at the sound of his voice. She didn’t dare open her eyes, but he could already feel the darkness start to lift off of him. That had to be a good sign. He took his large hand, and began stroking it through her hair, allowing his forehead to lay down on her cheek. 

He heard her inhale deeply, perhaps making sure it was really him, and that he was really there. That was a feeling he could relate too. When he was first coming back into his human form, he wasn’t sure if she was real. But instead of trying to reassure her with cliché words of encouragement, he picked up his head, and seeing her eyes open, clasped his hand to her face. His large hand encompassing almost the entirety of her head his thumb stroked her cheek. 

“Are you-“ she whimpered, but he simply just touched his thumb to her lip and smiled.

“Yes, and I love you,” he replied stroking the tears off her cheek. She grabbed his forearms as she rolled back on the bed, pulling him in. After moving over to make room, they snuggled in. 

“I’m sorry.” She said,

“Don’t be,” he replied. Stroking her back, as she laid on his chest.

“Where were you?” she inquired, reminding him of something. 

“Oh! Be right back!” he asked, scooching out of bed to go retrieve the flowers. 

When he came back, she half sat up, making room for him to get back in bed. She took the flowers, a smile coming to her tear stained eyes as she inhaled the beautiful scent. It took her back to the memory lost to her not long ago. One of the many things she can’t believe she almost lost forever. What a stupid stubborn fire squid, what an insecure Arizona dirt bag. 

“I want to talk about it, but first I want to see it,”

“Well, I think I could manage another vile-“

“No, I want to watch it, from your point of view.” She challenged, audibly hearing him gulp. “It’s only fair, you were able to see it from mine.”

He knew she had him beat, he also knew that after their mutual acknowledgment they were soul mates, they had become more intertwined than ever. This was a gift he could actually give her now. To let him see his world, his essence, his memories. And he could sense how much she needed this. 

“Okay,” he offered, opening his palm to her, “ready?” he questioned, feeling her soft delicate hand graze across his own.

“Ready.”

A/N: This is the end of this story. Our beautiful soulmates found one another, and all is right in the world. The next story I’ve been writing will pick up at the start of the lost memory. This memory while it’s Eleanor’s is viewed from Michael’s perspective. Though there will be some variations to Eleanor.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks! Feel free to review, I apologize for any grammar mistakes I'm working to get better! Next Chapter coming soon.


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